Candidate for Board of Directors (Four to be Elected)

Tracey H. Penaloza, MSN, RN, CNOR, is the director of Perioperative Services, Mercy Medical Center, Baltimore, Maryland. She earned a Bachelor of Science in nursing from the University of Maryland, Baltimore, and a Master of Science in nursing informatics from the University of Maryland, Baltimore.

Penaloza has been a perioperative nurse for 13 years and a member of AORN for 13 years. She is a member of

• AORN Baltimore (2013-present).

Penaloza has attended Congress six times in the past six years, each time as a delegate.

Penaloza has received

• an AORN Outstanding Achievement in Nursing Management Award (2018) and
• a University of Maryland Medical Center Living Excellence in Nursing Award, General Operating Room (2014).

Highlights of Penaloza’s service to AORN include that she is

• president-elect of AORN Baltimore (2022-present).

She has been

• secretary of AORN Baltimore (2020-2022),
• a member of the AORN Baltimore Board of Directors (2018-2020), and
• a member of the AORN Baltimore Nominating Committee (2016-2018).

In other leadership roles, Penaloza is

• the principal developer of the Perioperative Careers Track at Mercy Medical Center (2019-present),
• operational director of Perioperative Clinical Advancement Program at Mercy Medical Center (2019-present),
• chair of Daily Scheduling and Operations workgroup at Mercy Medical Center (2019-present), and
• lead designer and developer of Perioperative Virtual Learning Platform at Mercy Medical Center (2020-present).

She has been

• a co-coordinator of the Periop Fellowship program for new-to-OR nurses at the University of Maryland Medical Center (2016-2019).

In her community, Penaloza is

• a coordinator for annual Maryland Food Bank fundraisers and food drives (2020-present) and
• a volunteer at Our Daily Bread soup kitchen (2019-present).

She has been

• a co-coordinator and co-developer of apprenticeship program development between University of Maryland Medical Center and Baltimore Alliance for Careers in Healthcare (BACH) (2017-2019),
• an organizer for fundraising and supply drive for Generosity Global (2020), and
• a co-coordinator for fundraising and supply drive for ShareBaby (2021).

Election Statement

AORN has a rich history of discourse and a tradition of bringing perioperative professionals into productive spaces for the synthesis of ideas. These professionals have long sought opportunities to gather, share, and learn from their collective experiences. This drive to gather is a strength of our organization, enduring and guiding us with each generation. While we have often come together for common goals in traditional spaces, these spaces have also transformed into digital places through the innovation of technology with far-reaching implications in how we communicate with one another.

In a world changed by social distancing and burgeoning technology, we are more connected than ever. We are able to instantly bring colleagues from across the country into our live meetings, record and publish those gatherings online, and engage in discussion via headset and chat messages. While connected in this way, I believe that true connection requires more than technology to bridge community. I believe in maintaining a diverse and engaged membership, which can drive current practice and future changes within our discipline.

Throughout my leadership journey, I have had mentors show me that connection is an active process. I am committed to seeking the voices of our membership and will work to represent those perspectives across multiple mediums. When elected, it would be my privilege to hear your views on strengthening our organization. I sincerely ask not only for your confidence, your vote, but also your voice.